Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a small lead over the Republican presidential pack in Florida with 28
percent, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 22 percent, but Perry tops
Romney 31 - 22 percent if Sarah Palin doesn't run and leads Romney 46 - 38 percent in a two-
man face-off, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Romney has barely moved since he led the Florida GOP pack with 23 percent in an
August 4 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, while Perry has
surged from 13 percent in that survey conducted before he formally announced his candidacy.

All Florida voters disapprove 57 - 39 percent of the job President Barack Obama is
doing, his worst score in any Quinnipiac University poll in any state.

In possible 2012 presidential matchups, Romney tops the president 47 - 40 percent while
Perry gets 42 percent to Obama's 44 percent, a dead heat. In the August 4 Florida poll, Romney
and Obama were deadlocked 44 - 44 percent while the president led Perry 44 - 39 percent.

"Gov. Rick Perry has the lead - and the momentum - among Florida Republicans, while
former Gov. Mitt Romney can point to a better general election showing," said Peter A. Brown,
assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Adding to Perry's strength is support among Sarah Palin backers, who shift more to the
Texas governor if the former Alaska governor stays out of the race.

"And when voters are asked to choose just between the two front-runners, Perry's lead is
eight points."

Perry leads Romney 55 - 35 percent among Republican voters who describe themselves
as part of the Tea Party movement. Perry leads 50 - 36 percent among GOP men and wins 42
percent of women to Romney's 41 percent.

Most of the difference between how Romney and Perry run against President Obama is
among independent voters. The president leads Perry 42 - 36 percent among Florida
independents, while Romney tops the president 44 - 35 percent among the same group.

"This finding is consistent with Quinnipiac University polls in other states and re-enforces
Perry's need to improve his standing with independent voters," said Brown.

Voters in Florida, with the nation's highest concentration of senior citizens, say 58 - 33
percent that it is "unfair" to describe Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme," as Perry has done. But
among Republicans, the only ones allowed to vote in the state's crucial primary, 52 percent say
that is a fair way to describe the nation's retirement system.

Perry's position on Social Security leads 35 percent of Florida voters to think he wants to
fix it, while 37 percent feel he wants to end it. Republicans, however, say 60 - 14 percent that
Perry wants to fix Social Security.

Florida voters, like voters nationwide, are opposed to virtually all proposals to reduce
Social Security, with the exception of 65 - 28 percent support for raising the cap from the current
$106,800 in salary subject to taxation. Raising the Social Security salary cap will not lead
employers to do less hiring, voters say 61 - 32 percent.

By 38 - 20 percent voters say they are less likely, rather than more likely, to support a
presidential candidate who called for reducing the benefits for younger workers when they retire,
while not touching those of current retirees.

In Florida's U.S. Senate race, incumbent Bill Nelson deserves a second term, voters say
44 - 33 percent and Nelson leads an unnamed GOP candidate 43 - 34 percent. In the
Republican primary to challenge Nelson, 58 percent are undecided, with former Sen. George
LeMieux at 17 percent, followed by businessman Mike McCalister with 11 percent.

From September 14 - 19, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,007 registered voters with a
margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
The Republican primary includes 374 Republicans with a margin of error of +/- 5.1 percent.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia
and the nation as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.

3. (If Registered Republican)If the 2012 Republican primary for United States Senator were being held today, and the candidates were
Adam Hasner, George LeMieux, Craig Miller and Mike McCalister for whom would you vote?

TREND: (If registered Republican)If the 2012 Republican primary for United States Senator were being held today, and the candidates were
Adam Hasner, George LeMieux, Craig Miller and Mike McCalister for whom would you vote? (*na=not asked in survey reported)

6. Compared to past presidential elections, how would you describe your level of enthusiasm about voting in the 2012 presidential election next year -
are you more enthusiastic than usual, less enthusiastic, or about the same as usual?

TREND: In general, how satisfied are you with the way things are going in Florida today? Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied? (*combined High also 63% Sep 2004)

24. (INTRO TO QUES 24-27)The Social Security system mainly provides retirement income for senior citizens.
The government board that runs Social Security projects that it will run out of money to pay full benefits in the next 25 years.
Do you support or oppose - raising Social Security taxes to help bring more money into the Social Security system?

28. Under the current system employers and employees pay Social Security taxes on workers incomes only up to the first $106,800 they earn. Do you support or oppose raising this $106,800 income cap to help bring more money into the Social Security system?

30. Benefits for today's retirees come from taxes paid by today's workers. When today's workers retire, their benefits will be paid by people working at the time.
Some have said this system is a "Ponzi scheme." Do you think that it is fair or unfair to describe the Social Security system as a Ponzi scheme?

32. If a presidential candidate said that in order to preserve the Social Security system they would not touch benefits for current retirees or workers soon to retire, but would
reduce benefits for younger workers when they retire, would you be more likely to vote for that candidate, less likely to vote for that candidate, or wouldn't it make a difference?